June 2017 archive

Why do I write short memoir pieces and publish them on FB and in my blog? * I like the spontaneity. An idea comes to me. Sometimes it happens suddenly. Sometimes, two or three ideas roll around in my mind for a few days, then come together and I’m ready. I write, I edit, […] Read more…

I grew up in a family that disapproved of education for girls. Although it turned out that I was the brightest, outshining my three brothers, my parents didn’t alter their stand that boys had brains and girls had wombs. Boys went out into the world with their brains. Girls stayed at home with their wombs. […] Read more…

I moved into a block of flats after 13 years of sharing houses with strangers. What a relief!! I missed a couple of things about house-sharing – listening to other people’s music, watching TV shows I would never dream of turning on. Mostly, though, I preferred having my own space. I loved being able to […] Read more…

For me, personal change starts at a deep level. I’ve had a number of personality issues in my life. I’ve wanted to change those that made my life uncomfortable or downright miserable. I have made enormous changes in these traits – removing some, modifying others so that I can live with them. Some examples of […] Read more…

Welcome

Sydney Smith is a writing mentor, teacher and author of short stories, essays, and The Lost Woman, a memoir of survival. Sydney's latest book The Architecture of Narrative about how to plot and structure fiction is out now.